++++++++++++++++++++++++
The sqlobject-admin Tool
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:author: Ian Bicking <ianb@colorstudy.com>
:revision: $Rev: 995 $
:date: $LastChangedDate: 2005-09-16 17:48:36 -0400 (Fri, 16 Sep 2005) $

.. contents::

.. warning::

   This document isn't entirely accurate; some of what it describes
   are the intended features of the tool, not the actual features.

   Particularly inaccurate is how modules and classes are found.

Introduction
------------

The ``sqlobject-admin`` tool included with SQLObject allows you to
manage your database as defined with SQLObject classes.

Some of the features include creating tables, checking the status of
the database, recording a version of a schema, and updating the
database to match the version of the schema in your code.

To see a list of commands run ``sqlobject-admin help``.  Each
sub-command has ``-h`` option which explains the details of that
command.

Common Options
==============

Many of the commands share some common options, mostly for finding the
database and classes.

``-c CONNECTION`` or ``--connection=CONNECTION``:

    This takes an argument, the connection string for the database.
    This overrides any connection the classes have (if they are
    hardwired to a connection).

``-f FILENAME`` or ``--config-file=FILENAME``:

    This is a configuration file from which to get the connection.
    This configuration file should be a Python-syntax file that
    defines a global variable ``database``, which is the connection
    string for the database.

``-m MODULE`` or ``--module=MODULE``:

    A module to look in for classes.  ``MODULE`` is something like
    ``myapp.amodule``.  Remember to set your ``$PYTHONPATH`` if the
    module can't be imported.  You can provide this argument multiple
    times.

``-p PACKAGE`` or ``--package=PACKAGE``:

    A package to look in.  This looks in all the modules in this class
    and subclasses for SQLObject classes.

``--class=CLASSMATCH``:

    This *restricts* the classes found to the matching classes.  You
    may use wildcards.  You can provide multiple ``--class``
    arguments, and if any pattern matches the class will be included.

``--egg=EGG_SPEC``:

    This is an `Egg
    <http://peak.telecommunity.com/DevCenter/PythonEggs>`_ description
    that should be loaded.  So if you give ``--egg=ProjectName`` it'll
    load that egg, and look in ``ProjectName.egg-info/sqlobject.txt``
    for some settings (like ``db_module`` and ``history_dir``).

When finding SQLObject classes, we look in the modules for classes
that belong to the module -- so if you import a class from another
module it won't be "matched".  You have to indicate its original
module.

If classes have to be handled in a specific order, create a
``soClasses`` global variable that holds a list of the classes.  This
overrides the module restrictions.  This is important in databases
with referential integrity, where dependent tables can't be created
before the tables they depend on.

Simple Commands
===============

The ``create`` Command
----------------------

This finds the tables and creates them.  Any tables that exist are
simply skipped.

The ``sql`` Command
-------------------

This shows the SQL to create all the tables.

The ``drop`` Command
--------------------

Drops tables!  Missing tables are skipped.

The ``execute`` Command
-----------------------

This executes an arbitrary SQL expression.  This is mostly useful if
you want to run a query against a database described by a SQLObject
connection string.  Use ``--stdin`` if you want to pipe commands in;
otherwise you give the commands as arguments.

The ``list`` Command
--------------------

Lists out all the classes found.  This can help you figure out
what classes you are dealing with, and if there's any missing that you
expected.

The ``status`` Command
----------------------

This shows if tables are present in the database.  If possible (it
depends on the database) it will also show if the tables are missing
any columns, or have any extra columns, when compared to the table the
SQLObject class describes.  It doesn't check column types, indexes, or
constraints.  This feature may be added in the future.

Versioning & Upgrading
======================

There's two commands related to storing the schema and upgrading the
database: ``record`` and ``upgrade``.

The idea is that you record each iteration of your schema, and this
gets a version number.  Something like ``2003-05-04a``.  If you are
using source control you'll check all versions into your repository;
you don't overwrite one with the next.

In addition to the on-disk record of the different schemas you have
gone through, the database itself contains a record of what version it
is at.  By having all the versions available at once, we can upgrade
from any version.  But more on that `later <the-upgrade-command>`_

Basic Usage
-----------

Here's a quick summary of how you use these commands:

1. In project where you've never used ``sqlobject-admin`` before, you
   run ``sqlobject-admin record --output-dir=sqlobject-history``.
   If your active database is up-to-date with the code, then the tool
   will add a ``sqlobject_db_version`` table to the database with the
   current version.

2. Now, make some updates to your code.  Don't update the database!
   (You could, but for now it's more fun if you don't.)

3. Run ``sqlobject-admin record --edit``.  A new version will be
   created, and an editor will be opened up.

The ``record`` Command
----------------------

Record will take the SQL ``CREATE`` statements for your tables, and
output them in new version.  It creates the version by using the
ISO-formatted date (YYYY-MM-DD) and a suffix to make it unique.  It
puts each table in its own file.

This normally doesn't touch the database at all -- it only records the
schema as defined in your code, regardless of the database.  In fact,
I recommend calling ``record`` *before* you update your database.

The ``upgrade`` Command
-----------------------

Future
======

* Get ``record`` to do ``svn cp`` when creating a new version, then
  write over those files; this way the version control system will
  have nice diffs.

* An option to ``record`` the SQL for multiple database backends at
  once (now only the active backend is recorded).

* An option to upgrade databases with Python scripts instead of SQL
  commands.  Or a little of both.

* Review all the verbosity, maybe add logging, review simulation.

* Generate simple ``ALTER`` statements for upgrade scripts, to give
  people something to work with.  Maybe.

* A command to trim versions, by merging upgrade scripts.
